Crown Yourself The Other Savior

“Whether you are Karl Marx or Stalin or Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu, a Muslim, or a Christian, you must serve. Because we are presently rendering service to so many people and so many things, we are becoming confused. Therefore, Krishna advises us to give up all this service and serve Him alone:” (Shrila Prabhupada, Journey of Self-Discovery, Ch 7.2)

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Friend1: I noticed something interesting about the people who say there is no God.

Friend2: That they are less intelligent?

Friend1: That’s a given.

Friend2: After all, how do you explain the origin? There is a beginning to everything. We may not know what it is. We have no way to go back and verify with our eyes what occurred.

Friend1: Not to mention that even if we could, our senses are not perfect. Sometimes people witness a crime but are unable to recall the specific details after the fact. The mind is a material element, after all.

Friend2: Good point. They make theories that the origin was a single cell. Or perhaps some chemicals exploded. Then came evolution.

Friend1: Fine, but what is the origin of the cell? Did it just magically appear? Also, who created the rules for allowing evolution? Do we know of any other cases of something intelligent resulting from randomness?

Friend2: The sun, the moon, the air, the oceans, the mountains - amazing scientific properties that can be studied, resulting in predictability in patterns and outcomes to actions. So what was it that you noticed?

Friend1: Well, they start by saying there is no God. That must be stated. They are vehemently against the concept of religion.

Friend2: Right.

Friend1: The thing is, they usually make someone god-like anyway.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: Like a renowned scientist is dubbed the smartest person in the world. A politician who promises to end poverty is like a messiah. The philanthropist who aims to stop hunger is hailed as the next savior.

Friend2: Yeah, you’re definitely right about that. I would add that the anointed saviors don’t even have to be real people.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Consider the significant attention directed towards fictional characters, like from movies, literature and comic books.

Friend1: That’s so true. The fans dress up like the various characters. I always use that as proof that these people really do believe in God.

Friend2: How so?

Friend1: Because if they thought books like the Ramayana, Bhagavad-gita and Mahabharata were fiction, they would be completely into worshiping the characters. They’ve proven that they throw themselves into things that aren’t real. Their aversion to worship of the Divine, as designated by authority figures descending in the chain of disciplic succession, proves that deep down they understand that God is real.

Friend2: I must say, you are spot on there. If you look at characters like Hiranyakashipu and Ravana, they knew that God existed. They simply chose to go against Him. They thought that perhaps they could overcome Him and assume the top post themselves.

Friend1: So these different saviors come along, but none of them are perfect. They say, “Elect me and I’ll fix everything.”

Friend2: And they don’t fix anything.

Friend1: They say, “Put us in charge and we’ll change the weather.”

Friend2: Which is absurd.

Friend1: They say, “Choose your own path in life, just enjoy, and don’t worry so much. No need to read books.”

Friend2: And books are nothing more than written words originating with a person. If I shouldn’t read books then I shouldn’t listen to anyone. By extension, it means that I shouldn’t even listen to the person who tells me not to read books.

Friend1: Haha, that’s true.

Friend2: It’s in the nature of the soul to serve. That is the definition of dharma for the individual. Service is always there, so even if a person ignores God, they must serve someone or something. That is why these different saviors come along. You must follow them or you’ll be doomed. You must agree with their cause or you are a terrible person.

Friend1: And the only real savior is the Supreme Lord. Proof of His existence is everywhere in the distribution of spiritual sparks, known as Brahman. He is within every local space through the expansion known as the Supersoul. And in the full feature He is a person, an all-attractive Divine being with transcendental qualities beyond measure or comparison.

Friend2: His existence and mercy are known to those who serve Him. Intimately connected with Him, they never make the mistake of accepting false saviors, who are flawed at the core. Such wise souls not only find happiness in this life, but their well-being for future lives is assured as well.

In Closing:

No God, to this world never came,

But worship from atheists the same.

 

This or some other savior to crown,

Happiness only through them found.

 

But flawed human being at the core,

Worshipers left wanting more.

 

Krishna Himself best to follow why,

His potency, in sound and practice rely.